5 years after closure of Pāpaʻaloa Gym, county holds groundbreaking for replacement facility

More than five years after the Pāpaʻaloa Gym closed due to extensive termite damage, construction will finally begin next week on a new covered play court at Papaʻaloa Park in Hāmākua.

On Thursday, the County of Hawaiʻi’s Department of Parks and Recreation hosted a groundbreaking and blessing for the new facility. It will replace the park’s plantation-era gymnasium that was razed in May 2022 after being declared unsalvageable.

The gym closed indefinitely in 2020 during the onset of COVID-19. In 2021, Parks and Recreation announced plans to demolish the building with no plans to rebuild. Community members in Papaʻaloa, Laupāhoehoe and Nīnole — located north of Hilo — all responded that a replacement was needed.

They banded together and worked with the Parks and Recreation Department and their councilmember Heather Kimball to get a new facility.

“This is a beautiful day,” kūpuna Lucille Chung said. “To see this happen so quickly from when we were told the gym had to be torn down, to breaking ground is amazing. And it was a total collaboration with the community.”

The 12,300-square-foot play court will accommodate a basketball court, which can also be used for volleyball, pickleball, martial arts and futsal (indoor soccer). The facility also will be used for community programs and events. It will have restrooms, storage space and an additional multipurpose area.

In addition to the covered playcourt building, the project includes the construction of a concrete walking path around the perimeter of the park, expanded parking, realignment of the ballfield, and the purchase of indoor equipment such as a portable stage and exercise mats.

The community group called Friends of Papaʻaloa Gym encouraged written letters and emails to state and country representatives, organized sign-waving and created a petition.

“It was truly all of us,” said Bethany Morrison, a vocal advocate of the Friends of Papaʻaloa Gym. “We all stepped up for our keiki, kūpuna, and everyone living here that deserves a place to recreate. We even got the school (Laupāhoehoe Public Charter School) involved, which taught the kids that if you advocate for your community, you can make a difference.”

Morrison said the demolished gym served an area that is a tight-knit community.

“I don’t think everyone understood why demolishing this gym that served as a gathering space for decades was so hard,” Morrison added.

After the demolition of the gym, state Rep. Mark Nakashima was able to secure $5 million from Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke. This was the turning point for the project, said County Councilmember Heather Kimball.

Former Hawaiʻi County Mayor Mitch Roth matched the $5 million, allowing Parks and Recreation to proceed with an environmental assessment.

After the county and the state allocated funding for a new facility, Parks and Recreation and its consultants hosted several public meetings to gather community input, which was used in the development of a new master plan for the park and the design of the new facilities.

“I’m pretty emotional about this because today’s groundbreaking is proof that when everyone is working together and motivated, you can make anything happen,” Morrison said. “We kept pushing, writing letters, and emailing, and it was that persistence that made this happen.”

Isemoto Contracting Co. was awarded the construction contract following a public bidding process. Construction is expected to begin on June 2. The project is scheduled to be completed within 18 months, according to Tom Callis, spokesperson for the Hawaiʻi County Mayor’s Office.

“We’re excited to break ground on this much-needed project for Pāpa‘aloa,” Mayor Kimo Alameda said. “Our administration values recreation, whether it is in the gym, on the fields, or in our pools, and we will keep pushing hard for it in every district.”

The original estimate for the facility was $10 million, but the price tag has increased to $19.3 million, which includes funds for planning, design,and construction.

Parks and Recreation will cover the additional costs as it has in the past with the play courts at Panaʻewa Park, William “Billy” Kenoi District Park and Spencer Kalani Schutte District Park.

Pāpaʻaloa Park will be closed during construction. The Elderly Activities Division will relocate its nutrition program from the park to Paʻauilo Gym.

Public water spigots at the park will remain available as much as possible and are expected to remain accessible throughout the beginning of construction. But there will be occasions when the spigots will be unavailable, and Parks and Recreation will inform the public when this occurs, according to Callis.

To learn more about the history and future Papaʻaloa Park, the master plan can be found online.